Adult School Shows Its Flair in Cultural Fair

With tables and walls adorned with Mexican blankets, Persian rugs, painted Chinese fans, Japanese kendo equipment and a plethora of homemade international foods, the Conejo Valley Adult School on Thursday transformed its auditorium into a melting pot of cultural unity.

About 150 students representing 22 countries brought a glimpse of their cultures to the 13th annual International Fair, which included song and dance performances.

“For us it’s one of the highlights of the school year,” said teacher Debbie Hamer, who coordinated the event.

Wasima Yaftali, whose husband Abdullah was a top Afghanistan official in the 1970s before the Russian invasion forced the family to flee, showed off her hand-knit sweaters and exuberant spirit.

The event, she said, allows people from different cultures to have a better understanding of each other.

“Everybody can show their costumes, their food,” Yaftali said. “It’s international. Everybody’s happy.”

The 68-year-old Yaftali came to the United States 17 years ago with her husband, now 84.

Married 50 years, Wasima proudly boasted to passersby of their seven children and nine grandchildren.

Sporting a kimono, 19-year-old Utako Asari offered guests potato cakes and explained the traditional Japanese sport of kendo, which uses bamboo swords and resembles fencing.

The fair, she said, “is good for a peaceful world.”

Asari, who came to the United States 15 months ago, will return to her hometown of Akita, Japan, next month to apply for an extension on her student visa.

Upon her return to Ventura County later this summer, she plans to begin a two-year stint at Moorpark College.

Among the other homemade foods were baklava, sushi, German breads coated with thin layers of cheese, a spicy Korean pork salad and tortillas filled with vegetables and condiments.

The school, part of the Canejo Valley Unified School District, serves 8,000 students age 18 and older each year.

Besides English as a Second Language classes, the school offers a variety of programs including computer skills, parenting classes, vocational training and the General Educational Development classes.

The school is also an official testing center for immigrants seeking naturalization status.

The annual event offers immigrants a chance to remember their pasts while working toward their futures, school officials said.

“Even though they’ve come to America and are assimilated into American culture, it’s still very important for them to have pride in their own culture and background,” said teacher Twila Cook. “I think all of us here wish everyone could see the wonderful, caring, hard-working immigrants who come to study here. They’d get a different perception of immigrants.”